Sweet frosted healthy lemon cake…
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A soft and fluffy lemon cake that instantly melts as it touches your lips…
Sure, that irresistibly moist lemon cake from Starbucks is hard to resist. But with almost 500 calories, a staggering 9 grams saturated fat, and more than half the sugar limit you’re supposed to consume in an entire day, Starbucks’ famed lemon cake is not even close to a healthy breakfast!
To put things in perspective: You could actually eat seven frosted slices of today’s makeover healthy lemon cake and still not equal the calories and saturated fat in just one slice from Starbucks!
This recipe can be low-fat / low-sugar / whole-grain / under 100 calories per slice
So you could save the Starbucks lemon cake for a rare special occasion… or you could eat this homemade healthy lemon cake every single day.
And it’s so good you’ll probably want to do just that!
Healthy Lemon Cake
Starbucks Healthy Lemon Cake
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup yogurt of choice
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 3 1/2 tbsp oil OR more yogurt of choice if oil-free is desired (35g)
- 1/2 tbsp pure vanilla extract
- zest one lemon
- 1 cup spelt or white flour (or bob’s gf + 1/2 tsp xanthan) (130g)
- scant 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp plus 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup xylitol or sugar of choice (100g)
- Optional Powdered Sugar Glaze: 1/4 cup powdered sugar or sugar-free powdered sugar + 1 tsp lemon juice.
Instructions
*2019 Update: This makes a small (8×5) loaf. For a larger loaf, be sure to try this Vegan Lemon Bread!
Starbucks lemon cake healthy makeover: Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease an 8×5 loaf pan, and set aside. In a bowl, whisk the first 5 ingredients. In a separate bowl, stir together all remaining ingredients. Pour wet into dry, and stir just until evenly mixed. Smooth into the loaf pan, and bake 25 minutes or until loaf has risen and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool, then spread the glaze on top if a glaze is desired. Glaze hardens when it cools, and you can refrigerate to expedite the process if you wish. For optimum freshness, store leftover lemon cake slices in the fridge or even in the freezer.
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I love all things lemon and this is no exception! I’m tying to watch what I eat so if I can slim it in anyway, it’s going in my mouth. Haha. Thanks for sharing!
I haven’t tried Starbucks’ lemon cake and I won’t need to now! This lemon cake looks delicious! 🙂
Will be making this in the near future!
I am assuming that you used plain yogurt. If I used sweetened yogurt do you think I can reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe?
I’m not Katie, but the yogurt I used when I made this is not unsweetened and I didn’t change anything about the recipe and it worked out really well. The texture was perfect, and it didn’t even need the glaze or any type of icing. It was sweet enough on its own. So you might even end up with a lower sugar result due to the fact that the sweetness from the yogurt allows you to not use the glaze. The cake was really good just by itself.
OMG thank you soooo much !!! I’ve looked every where for a vegan cake and who other than the best vegan blogger in the world could take on the task. Again thank you so very very much!
Does this recipe have to be refrigerated after baking (due to the yogurt)? My brother loves all things lemon, and I would love to make this and mail it to him 🙂
Yes, she does mention it’s best kept refrigerated for optimal freshness
Some time ago I found some xylitol in the store and was so excited to make your recipes that make use of it! I tried two different recipes and I found it extremely bitter and strangely it would somewhat burn my mouth, almost like something unpleasantly spicy but without the flavor of spicy foods. I was so disappointed. Could it be my brand? What brand xylitol are you using?
Wow not sure if this is the same thing but a small percentage of people get a bitter taste in their mouth when consuming artificial sweeteners.
I have tried multiple brands of xylitol and never experienced this.. perhaps there is something in it that you are sensitive to? For me, xylitol tastes very sweet and has a slight cooling sensation, which is why I think it gets used in gum and toothpastes sometimes.
I believe it was Katie (or another vegan chef blogger) who explained once about mixing it up if you use artificial sweeteners. Try using part sweetener with something natural. On this cake I used 1/4 c erythritol and 5 blended dates. It affects the color somewhat but the sweetness was perfect. I didn’t even have the glaze.
I don’t get any bitterness after having xylitol, but something that may help? I use Monk Fruit to replace sugar/xylitol, to me, it tastes just like sugar!
Can’t wait to try this recipe tonight! My husband loves lemon and I’m going to make this for his 40th bday tomorrow!
Katie,
Can we substitute anything for the yogurt that is not milk or yogurt? Would a thick cashew cream work?
Sharon
Hey! I have not tried Katie’s recipe, so I can’t make any guarantees, but I have made this “yogurt” replacement previously, and it was fabulous and delicious. I ate it with fruit and granola, but the recipe creator says it can be used as a replacement for storebought vegan yogurt in recipes. It’s cashew-based. Anyways, here it is if you want to try it:
http://plantpoweredkitchen.com/vanilla-cashew-yogurt-vegan/#comment-11260
Hi, Katherine B. Thank you so much for taking the time to post this recipe substitution. I have a milk allergy so most yogurts are off limits. This will help me tremendously.
No problem! I’m vegan, so I don’t do dairy yogurts either. They do sell some cultured non-dairy yogurts like coconut and almondmilk varieties (SoDelicious brand) or soy (Trader Joe’s or WholeSoy,) but they are a little expensive. Hope you like this cashew-based one!
I have just mixed it all up in my blender. I will try Katie’s lemon cake tomorrow! I can’t. I did not have applesauce but one of the reviewers said she didn’t add it and the yogurt was fine. So I left the applesauce out. It blended into the silkiest, prettiest yogurt I have ever had. I have had to stop myself from just eating it until I can use it in Katie’s recipe, lol. I am going to keep that stuff around. Thank you, again. I can’t wait to use this in all the recipes that require yogurt. I am not sure it would in something that is not a dessert, but it should definitely work in any dessert. I will know tomorrow!
Katie, I’m so glad you’re posting so many recipes that can easily be made low fat and oil free. I know all about healthy fats, but I was diagnosed with gallstones last year, so I avoid oil like the devil. But of course I still indulge in occasional healthy treats, and lemon-based desserts are my absolute favourite. Thank you for sharing this recipe, I will try it ASAP!
Has anyone tried subbing almond flour or coconut flour for the spelt? If so, how did it come out? What measurements did you use to replace the spelt? Thanks!
If you want to sub coconut flour you will have to up the liquid significantly as coconut flour absorbs A LOT of liquid. Most non-vegan recipes that use it usually have a ratio of something like 1/2 C coconut flour to 8 eggs, so I am not sure how it would work out.
I just tried this with coconut flour. I increased the yogurt an extra 1/4 cup (I used a half cup originally and left out the oil, so 3/4 cup total) and some extra lemon juice that I didn’t measure. I had juiced 4 lemons, took out the 2 teaspoons needed for glaze (I doubled the glaze) and used the rest. The cake came out a little more crumbly than with regular flour but it works and it’s delicious! I used coconut yogurt.
I did! 2/3 cup almond flour and 1/3 cup spelt worked out beautifully. I think you could replace all of it with almond and it would still be fine. 🙂 Coconut is more tricky.
I just pulled mine from the oven and it is so delicious! I like it even better than the Starbucks version! It’s much lighter and not sickly sweet.
I made this today using plain greek yogurt, sucanat and a combination of spelt, oat and wh. wheat flours. It is absolutely fabulous! Unfortunately I’ve eaten half of the loaf which, I imagine, defeats the purpose. It really is amazing though!!
I have been looking for a healthier homemade of this recipe for what feels like forever! THANK YOU!
Just made this and ate a piece and it’s AWESOME! I would make this again in a heartbeat! I doubled the recipe to make two loaves, but they came out only about an inch high lol. Next time I’ll triple it to get two loaves so they’re a bit bigger 🙂
Also I made mine with Greek yogurt and didn’t change the measurements, and I think they came out just fine! Like I said, just kinda small.
Hi!!! I just made one recipe and the loaf hardly rose. Is that how it is supposed to be because Katie’s pictures seem so thick and large yet mine is uber small. Kind of like a tart. Tastes amazing though!
Katie! This recipe is sooooo good! I know you were just using it as a comparison and didn’t really mean we should eat seven slices, but I kinda want to 😉
Don’t worry, I only had three so far 😉
I can’t believe how deliciously this recipe came out for so few calories. I’m on a strict diet, and finding your site has been helpful more than I can even tell you. And my family thanks you too, because I can now make recipes we can all enjoy. This bread was a hit with the whole family 🙂
Looks like a great recipe, can’t wait to try it!
it looks great! I don’t have any xylitol, do you know if it works with splenda?
I would like to know if we need to half the sugar amount if we use Truvia? So excited to try this!
Personally, I’d never use Splenda for anything. It totally defeats the “healthy” in any recipe. Try Monk fruit or Stevia, which are derived from plants, so they’re not artificial.